


I'm Having a "She's the Man" Moment, Help!

by Ot3srock



Series: Ricky Bowen Deserves Good Friends [3]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Periods, Rehearsals, Soft Ricky Bowen (HSM: The Series), Trans Ricky Bowen (HSM: The Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-19 12:57:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22311379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ot3srock/pseuds/Ot3srock
Summary: For the record, it had started out as a good day.Until he felt the familiar wetness roll down his right let.Or,Ricky gets his period, comes out to the whole cast, and finds that good days can turn bad can turn good.
Relationships: Big Red & Ricky Bowen (HSM: The Series), Ricky Bowen & E.J. Caswell, Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts
Series: Ricky Bowen Deserves Good Friends [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614853
Comments: 12
Kudos: 129





	I'm Having a "She's the Man" Moment, Help!

**Author's Note:**

> This is not only my first fic for this fandom, but also this headcanon. I love trans Ricky, even though it's not real in the show. Please leave comments/kudos if you like and feel free to check out my other stories or make requests. Hope you like!

For the record, it had started out as a good day. For once, his parents hadn’t fought over anything, though he wasn’t sure if that was because they were getting along or just because he’d snapped last night during dinner and they were trying to be cordial in his presence. They’d made it through breakfast without arguing, though and he counted that as a win.

He then skated to school with Big Red and was met with the entire cast on the front steps, enlisting his help to put up posters for the upcoming show. He was paired with Red and E.J. and for once, their interactions less awkward since they’d become friends. They plastered posters to almost every visible surface, even managing some up on the ceiling, E.J. lifting Red up while Ricky watched, knowing he’d be less than comfortable with being lifted. E.J. had tried, but Red had stepped in last minute, which Ricky was grateful for.

Class had gone smoothly and he found that his grades were still at the top of his class, even with the show taking up most of his time. Yet, something was off and he wasn’t quite sure what it was until halfway through rehearsal. They were practicing the choreography for _Get’cha Head in the Game_ when the dull ache in his lower regions turned into full blown pain. Ricky doubled over with a groan as he caught the ball E.J. tossed him.

“Ricky! Dude, are you okay? Did I throw it too hard?” E.J. fretted, rushing over. Ricky was so engulfed in pain that he could barely think.

“I-I’m fine,” he groaned, standing up straight. He had the ball pressed to his stomach with one hand while the other pressed against the area just above his shorts, hidden by the ball. “I’m fine, E.J..”

E.J.’s face was still concerned and Ricky barely had time to process it before he felt a familiar wetness trail down his right leg. Panic settled in his mind and all he knew was that he couldn’t let anyone know. He dropped the basketball and ran, booking it as fast as he could to the bathrooms down the hall. He heard people calling his name, loudest of all Carlos and E.J., but didn’t reply, just kept running until he’d reached his destination.

He locked himself in a stall, sitting on the toilet and examining his underwear. Sure enough, clear as day, there was a red stain in his white and grey plaid boxer shorts. He pulled out his phone, and, ignoring the concerned texts, checked his calendar. It had, indeed, been a month. And, of course, in the wake of the show and his parents’ arguments, he’d forgotten about it. He should have remembered this morning, when he’d looked at the calendar hanging above his bed and saw the red dots marking the next week or so.

He even had an extra bag packed for just this situation, but it was hidden amongst the shoes in his closet. God, he wished he’d been more prepared for today, maybe even having a bag packed in his locker would have been a good idea. But he was so anxious of being found out that even the mere thought of having someone see those in his locker triggered a panic attack.

Ricky put his head in his hands as his elbows rested on his bare knees and he tried to calm his breathing. Maybe he’d bleed out and he’d never have to face the embarrassment of coming out to the whole cast and crew this way. On second thought, that’d be a horrible way to die, but at least he could stay here until rehearsal was over and then head back home without anyone noticing. Though they’d most definitely ask questions tomorrow.

\--

Nini rushed over to the middle of the stage where Ricky had just been standing. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and wiped at the liquid on the floor, fearing the worst. When she brought it back, stained red, she heard a gasp mirror her own.

“Did I hit him so hard he bled?” E.J. asked. Nini wiped up the rest of the blood and then stood up, balling up the tissue so she could throw it away.

“It’s complicated, but just know it’s not your fault,” she told him.

“Is this an STM moment?” Big Red asked, walking over.

“Yeah. I think he had a really bad nosebleed,” Nini replied, to which Big Red nodded and pulled out his phone, sending a text to Ricky.

\--

Ricky’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, seeing a text from Big Red.

**Red-Man**

Hey, everyone’s worried about you. You okay?

He typed a response back and tried to keep from sobbing.

**Me**

Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak anyone out. I just need to fix a nosebleed “She’s the Man” style.

**Red-Man**

Kinda figured. Miss Jenn’s kinda freaking out. Do you mind if I tell her?

**Me**

No. You can. I think it’s time.

**Red-Man**

Alright. Nini’s on her way.

**Me**

K

Ricky felt guilty for stopping rehearsal and making his friends take care of him and he couldn’t figure out if he was seconds away from crying because of that or because of the emotional state he was in because of his fucking period. He didn’t have much time to ponder this, though, because a knock on the door tore him from his thoughts.

“Ricky, I’m coming in, okay?” Nini called.

“O-okay!” he called back, voice shaking. He heard the door creak open and Nini’s shoes tap across the tile floor. He reached forward and tapped the stall door three times to let her know which one he was in. He saw her shoes in the gap under the door.

“Here you go, Ricky.” She passed some supplies under the door.

“Th-thank you, Nini.”

“Of course, Ricky. I’ll be outside when you’re ready.” Ricky put in the tampon and changed into the underwear Nini had slid under the door, a pair of his own “period underwear” that he’d forgotten she had. He wiped the trail of blood from his leg and the shorts, then exited the stall, doing his best to clean his boxers as he could in that moment. When he walked out of the bathroom, Nini offered him a plastic bag to put his underwear in and then a bottle of water and two Advils. He took all of them, concealing his boxers before taking the pills.

“Thank you,” he expressed as they walked back to the auditorium.

“You don’t have to thank me, Ricky. It’s what friends do,” Nini replied, bumping his shoulder a little.

“Still, thanks.” They detoured to his locker first, Ricky putting the plastic bag in it and making a mental reminder to himself to grab it after rehearsal. When they entered the auditorium again, everyone fell silent. E.J. was the first to break the silence as he rushed over to his friend.

“Ricky, are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Ricky assured. “I’m sorry I ruined rehearsal.”

“Hey. You didn’t ruin anything. We’re just glad you’re okay,” E.J. assured.

“I, uh. I have something to tell you guys,” Ricky mumbled. It was time they knew, in case anything like this happened again. E.J. nodded and then he and Nini went to gather the whole cast and crew. Ricky sat down cross-legged on the edge of the stage, facing the set. Everyone sat around him in a group, looking at him as if he was the only thing in the room that mattered.

“What’s going on, Ricky?” Carlos asked, sitting next to Seb, the two holding hands. The knowledge that everyone accepted them helped to calm the anxiety in Ricky’s chest.

“I, uh, I’m sorry for freaking out earlier. It’s just…” Ricky took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “I’m on my period.” He cracked an eye open and saw confused faces, making him open both eyes.

“What?” Ashlyn questioned, looking around to see if anyone else understood.

“What I’m trying to say is that I’m trans,” Ricky explained. “I’m still transitioning and I got my period and I freaked out because I didn’t want you to know that I’m trans because I didn’t want you guys to hate me.” Ricky was rambling and spiraling himself into a borderline panic attack and Nini grabbed his hand, rubbing soothing circles across his knuckles.

“You thought we would hate you for being trans?” Seb asked and Ricky could hear the tears in his voice. Ricky nodded, looking to Nini to explain what he couldn’t with the giant lump in his throat.

“It’s happened before,” Nini told them. Tears dripped down Ricky’s face and he felt arms wrap around him. It wasn’t Nini, because she was still holding his hand, but it didn’t take Ricky long to figure out who it actually was.

“Well, it’s not gonna happen with us, Ricky. You’re safe here, no matter what you identify as,” E.J. declared. Ricky sniffled and wiped his tears, feeling everyone come and give him a big hug.

“Thank you guys,” he spoke, tears still choking up his voice.

“Any time, Ricky.”


End file.
